Alpha of ashes

a

gainst the glass and Damian's arms ar

t was ev

. The sheets tangl

've made

lay there and

cedar. Home a

the hell w

My body ached in all the right ways - from the night bef

my m

was c

sn't th

nce. Cold revenge served ov

whispered apologies at

he bathroom, turning on the tap

in the mirror, I almos

irl he le

n who came b

e in b

e dang

-

mi

ke up, sh

n the hallway, feel her energ

ke it used to when she'd disappear for hours as a

found her curled up on the window bench in

ul in that quiet, burn

her, rested a han

dn't f

dn't lean

e you been

g en

sita

et it?" I as

at me, eyes

ch p

t ni

omething that wasn't q

t

all I was

r

-

a

ask me to

n't ha

yed a

few

xisted in the same space, o

him what I fel

it was d

o feel like maybe, maybe,

ore than Black R

-

afternoon,

e to The Iron G

. But I knew

l

city who still knew e

t tell

. Surrounded by corporate s

his was m

s had

I w

on

-

dge of the Lower East Side. Old scent trails, rus

waitin

ood-red lipstick, her

rred. "Zara D'Lune,

n't f

he thea

"You used to

to have

uc

epped

he k

ho

an. Does he know what

yed q

what I t

ren't blood. Like she hadn't once braided

smarter than everyone else.

standing,

r n

rin w

over your

t to call me

elling him?" she a

you wan

ression

r. Ha

ant

urpris

Black

nas is dead. Kye's halfway to a breakdown. A

n le

Not with

'll help you? Af

t I had to

You let the

ose to him. You would've

him," I

said. "And now

epped

im. I want out. We

ed my ey

ve. It's got names, deals, blackmail - proof o

just givin

a chance to bury

. Every word,

asn't

telling the who

ay. "Tick tock, cousin. You're not the

-

mi

to the penthou

n

ent t

t g

damn near

ed. No

d. No

he building

out between

ar

sm

t

n minutes befo

on Zara Kade. Do

ted. "Somet

ay

gonna wait

n to her, if Black Ridge

e city down